Our Values
Neurodiversity affirming care through welcoming, honoring, and accepting all brain-types and developmental differences
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Connection over compliance
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Honoring all forms of communication
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Respecting body autonomy
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Respecting sensory processing needs
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Valuing a child's strengths and interests
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Adopting affirming language
MORE ABOUT US
Play To Live Occupational Therapy was created by a passionate and driven occupational therapist based in the western suburbs of Melbourne. We currently service clients living in Wyndham and Melton. Check out more about the founder of Play To Live OT below!
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Play To Live OT is a community based service, meaning that sessions occur in the home, kinder, or school environment. By offering flexibility in where therapy sessions can occur, including in a child's familar environment, we aim to promote positive relationships, build skills, and support routines. At Play To Live OT we can support with goals related to self-care skills, fine motor development, gross motor skills, sensory and emotional regulation, social interactions, play, and executive functioning.
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Play To Live OT offers services to children who have NDIS funding, Medicare funding, or private paying.
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We strive to provide neurodiversity affirming care through honoring all communication styles, providing sensory accommodations, and valuing connection over compliance. This means, we focus on using interests, strengths, and routines in therapy sessions.
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?
Occupational therapy uses assessment and different strategies to help someone continue to do the things they enjoy, or develop new skills. When working with children, developing skills such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, self-care skills, and play skills are a vital part of development. When a child is having difficulty with one or more of these skills an OT can support in various ways. This can include working directly with your child to model new strategies to help them achieve their goals, provide parent coaching and training to support with routines at home, and collaborating with educators to support with carry over in a variety of settings.
Check out the list below for some of the common areas we address at Play To Live Occupational Therapy.
How Can Occupational Therapy Support Your Child?
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Self-care skill development
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Fine Motor skills - including drawing, writing, colouring, cutting
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Gross motor skills
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School readiness
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Sensory processing - including accommodations
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Social interactions
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Emotional regulation
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Executive functioning - planning, sequencing, initiating, attention
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Play - understand why your child plays the way they do
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Routines and transitions
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Assessments
RACHELLE DUBOWIK
Owner - Occupational Therapist
Rachelle is an experienced registered occupational therapist, graduating with a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy in 2014. Since graduating Rachelle has worked across different pediatric environments, including community settings and clinic settings. Rachelle has experience working with children of all abilities supporting them to achieve their goals. Rachelle has significant experience in working with autistic and ADHDer clients, including non-speaking children and children with a PDA profile.
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Rachelle has a passion for working within a neurodiversity affirming framework, completing ongoing education to further her knowledge. She has completed numerous personal development opportunities to expand her knowledge, enabling individualised supports to be provided to each client, including but not limited to AAC, interoception, and executive functioning. She strives to learn from the neurodivergent Community whenever possible, completing workshops run through Learn Play Thrive, Play Spark, Onwards and Upwards Psychology and Rachel Dorsey SLP.
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Rachelle has completed training on understanding PDA profiles by Raelene Dundon, Collaborative Problem Solving by Dr. Ross Greene, and has attended the Yellow Ladybugs conference in 2022 on ADHD.
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Rachelle thoroughly enjoys creating and planning individiualised sessions for each of her clients, often sourcing materials or creating activities based on their interests.
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In her spare time, Rachelle enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and sausage dog Harry.
TONI SEALE
Occupational Therapist
Toni is a passionate Occupational Therapist who graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy) in 2022. She has experience working across both clinic and community settings, including homes, schools, and kindergartens, supporting children to work towards their developmental goals and increase participation in their everyday occupations and interests.
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Toni works with a range of neurodivergent children, including autistic children, children with ADHD, Down syndrome, and genetic neurological conditions. She has experience supporting a variety of autistic profiles, including Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and high masking. Toni values working closely with the autistic community to better understand lived experiences and provide holistic, neurodiversity-affirming care.
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In her practice, Toni prioritises building genuine connections and supporting each child’s strengths, autonomy, and choices. She aims to create therapy experiences that are meaningful, motivating, and supportive of regulation, enabling children to engage with confidence and enjoyment. Toni also works collaboratively with families, supporting advocacy during school and care team meetings and assisting with documentation to clearly communicate a child’s support needs.
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Toni has worked to further her knowledge by completing many professional development opportunities, including but not limited to the following:
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Sandhya Menon: Unpacking Affirming Paediatric Practice
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Kelly Mahler: Toileting, Interoception & Nutrition: An Evidence-Based Approach for Promoting Toileting Success and Independence
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Introduction to Occupational Performance Coaching: Foundation Concepts and Methods
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Kim Barthel: Regulation Matters: Polyvagal Theory, Interoception and Emotional Integration
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Learn Play Thrive: Goal Writing for Autistic Students
Outside of work, Toni enjoys being creative, listening to music, reading, exercising, and spending time with her family. She is driven by a genuine passion for her role and is committed to providing a personalised, respectful service that reflects each child and family’s unique needs and experiences.